A review by mistellation
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

3.0

”I want you to know, I’m sure. A thousand percent.”

i’m giving this 2.5 stars because mhmm you know how picky i am with rating books.

[deep sigh] okay, this book made me laugh, and cry and think a lot, but i still felt it was lacking some things. like, a faster pacing. which i am reluctant to say, because the romance per se felt hella rushed... by the 30% of the book, alex and henry were already in love and very happy, and i just... maybe it’s because i’m a sucker for slow burn, but damn. no need to have things escalate that quickly, specially if the premise is rivals to lovers.

besides, the plot was... boring. and i’m talking about pages and pages of political discussion that felt slow and informative but, you know, not what you’re seeking to read in a romance novel. i appreciate the author’s effort to write about what she felt she needed to write, though... read the acknowledgements for more detail.

the characters’ interactions were great, though! both main characters bond and love more people than their love interest, and have more than one friend even if one of those friends are their own siblings and i really liked to read that. most of the books i’ve read don’t have a deep insight in friendship and it ends up being superficial and having a very heavy romance focus. which i guess is great. but too intense sometimes.

anyway, this books is made for people feeling kinda down at the moment, like they’re alone and they need an emotional boost. if it’s your case, you’ll most probably enjoy the reading.

so, enjoy the reading!